Prayer to accept God’s call
Kyle Norman
Bible Reading:
And I heard the Lord say, “Who should I send, who will I go for us?” Then I said, “I’m here, send me.” – Isaiah 6:8
Listen or read the following:
Do you think it’s easy to raise your hands and volunteer for tasks or duties? When people call your church to help with potlucks and events, are you naturally standing up to the challenge? For many people, helping others seems like an easy thing to do. But what if you hear God’s voice call you to a certain action or job? What happens if God asks someone in your life to express their message? Now, it’s a little more difficult to put your hands up to say “send me,” right?
These five words, “Here I send me,” are probably the five most difficult words next to our faith. With these words we offer ourselves to life not only from God, but from God’s purpose in the world. It’s easy to believe in God, but we often pass through our comfort zone if we are willing to use him. In many cases, accepting God’s calling in our lives means that we offer ourselves to others in our service and ministry. Maybe, like Jonah, it involves sending a message to someone we don’t want to talk to. It can be scary to say “send me.” In these words, boldness meets humility, and faith meets trust. These words can be difficult to speak and can be difficult to live.
Have you ever heard the voice of God calling you into actions or ministry? Have you ever heard the gentle whispers of the Savior ask you? What was your response? Don’t despair if it’s difficult to accept this calling. Don’t blame yourself, even if the affirmation of your calling is not easily rolling from your lips. You are a good companion. The great pillars of faith have always struggled with this.
Sarah says, “Here I am, but I am old” (Genesis 18:12), and Jeremiah says, “Here I am, but I am too young” (Jeremiah 1:6). Moses says, “Here I am, but I am sending someone else” (Exodus 4:13), and Peter says, “Here I am, but I am too sinful” (Luke 5:8). Isaiah says, “I’m here, send me!” but he speaks these words only after saying, “My eyes are me, so my eyes are king, the Lord of the Host!” (Isaiah 6:5).
It seems natural to focus solely on our inadequacy in light of God’s call. What God calls us and we can see is a number of reasons why we cannot stand the integrity of the person who calls us to His work. But please note that there is no condemnation for this. God never blames people to question their calling. God simply continues his call. In fact, this pause is good before jumping to the front. Competing against the flow of God’s movements is not something to be done recklessly. It demands more than the spirit of the moment.
But when that call does not go away, when we speak to a trusted prayer partner about it, when we pray about it, when we experience a time of identification, when God’s call just doesn’t stop, our faith calls for a response. And when it happened, we would have opened our lives to the wonders of God’s Kingdom in a new and powerful way. You may even wonder what it took so long to say “send” in the first place.
Let’s pray:
The Almighty God,
I know you are always with me and you constantly beckon me to bring me closer to you. You call me and accept the possibility of participating in your kingdom work. Lord, you know that I love you, and you know that I long for your presence in my life. Also, sometimes you find it difficult to offer yourself completely to you. Sometimes I try to reserve a sense of control. In others, my sin looks at me, saying that your calling is probably not true. Yet, your call to serve you and serve others is never-ending. In grace, you call me to step deeper into your presence and explore your call to my life. Know that your phone is based on who you are. Your job is for you to do through me, not for me alone. So, when you hear you say, “Who’s going?”, tell me the boldness, “I’m here, send me.”
I pray all this in the name of Jesus. Amen
Photo Credit: ©GetTyimages/Tim Robberts
Pastor Kyle Norman is the president of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Kamloops, Canada. He holds a PhD in Spiritual Formation and is a popular author, speaker and retreat leader. His writings can be found at Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, Ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada and more. He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca. He has 20 years of idyllic experience and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of mental disappointment.
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